Senator David Norris' address to Seanad Eireann (the Irish Senate)

In Sept. 2007, fourteen months before Ireland's bank bailout, I resigned from my position as the Risk Manager of UniCredit Bank Ireland. I did that in order not to incriminate myself. I have spent the last 4 years seeking justice. On Feb. 23rd., 2010, I was fortunate to have Senator David Norris raise the matter in Seanad Eireann (the Irish Senate), and request a response from the Minister of Finance, Mr. Brian Lenihan. Senator Norris concluded by stating that:

"...there is ministerial responsibility in this matter.
This is a grossly serious matter which has been reported to the Financial Regulator. A man has lost his job as a result. He honourably resigned. The degree of breach was 40 times the accepted margin. This is a disaster. If we are not prepared to face the issue and investigate it when it has been laid before the House, there is absolutely no hope for the financial system or its reputation worldwide...How can the Financial Regulator investigate himself? He was in breach of his responsibility."

In Nov. 2011, Emma Alberici, Europe correspondent for ABC TV, told my story as part of her documentary 'Going Rogue' which featured Nick Leeson and Sir John Vickers among other interviewees. It is ironic that at a time when the Irish tax-payer is bailing out un-secured bond holders, my story which occurred in Dublin, is deemed of interest to the Australian TV license payer. Please click on 'play video' on the following link:

Thursday, 14 April 2011

Noonan sends report on bank crisis to Gardaí and DPP - Irish Times

Minister Noonan, following a recent headline in the Irish Times (quote below) may I presume that you will be asking the DPP (Director of Public Prosecution) to investigate the conduct of UniCredit Ireland as well?

Should you require further information, please see Village magazine's December cover story:

Still waiting for the truth from the regulator

I was rather disappointed to receive the email below which you had sent last November. The person whom you sent it to has contacted me via my blog. Pity you can't remember the complaint you had made about my conduct on the phone with your secretary when I called to follow up on a meeting I had had with one of your prominent colleagues.

Subject: Re: Are Fine Gael complicit in covering up a whistleblower's report?

To: ........Dear M.,Thank you for taking the time to write to me. Unfortunately I have noknowledge of the case you mention and I can assure you that Fine Gael isnot complicit in a cover up of any banking irregularities and I have notbeen contacted by this whistleblower.

Best wishes.

Michael Noonan TDFine Gael Spokesperson on Finance

The Irish Times - Saturday, April 2, 2011

Noonan sends report on bank crisis to Gardaí and DPP

SIMON CARSWELL, Finance Correspondent

MINISTER FOR Finance Michael Noonan has referred the Nyberg report into the banking crisis to the Garda, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
This is the first time a report on banking practices in all the guaranteed lenders has been submitted to the Garda, the DPP and the ODCE. A Department of Finance spokesman confirmed the report had been referred on the advice of the Attorney General. The Minister received the final report from the Nyberg commission of investigation on March 22nd and referred it to the Attorney General.
The commission, led by the former senior Finnish civil servant Peter Nyberg, spent six months investigating the banking crisis, examining Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society in particular. Mr Nyberg was asked to investigate corporate governance and risk management at the six Government-guaranteed institutions from January 1st, 2003, to January 15th, 2009, when the decision to nationalise Anglo was taken.
The inquiry focused closely on lending practices at Anglo and Irish Nationwide to examine why they incurred much heavier losses.
Mr Nyberg did not name any individuals in his report, which was commissioned by former minister for finance Brian Lenihan.
It followed two reports into the causes of the crisis last year by Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan and banking experts Klaus Regling and Max Watson.
The Central Bank plans to examine bank directors’ records in the run-up to the crisis and, if necessary, launch formal investigations to suspend or prohibit individuals from involvement with finance companies. The head of financial regulation
Matthew Elderfield said on Thursday that he would write to bank boards to give directors an opportunity to decide whether they wanted to go through that examination process.
The ODCE and the Garda are already investigating issues relating to Anglo including:
● the €7 billion deposits between the bank and Irish Life and Permanent which made Anglo look healthier than it actually was over its September 2008 year end;
● the secret share deal in which it made loans of €451 million to 10 customers to buy a 10 per cent stake held by Seán Quinn;
● the concealment of loans to former chairman Seán FitzPatrick over an eight-year period;
● an €8 million loan given to a director, Willie McAteer, to prevent his Anglo shares being sold on September 29th, 2008; and
● the content of financial and public statements in 2008.